Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Merrillee Whren

Last month I talked about the service dogs in my upcoming book, HOMETOWN HERO, the fifth book in my Kellersburg series. You can find information about all the books here.

My heroine sings these words to the tune of "Twelve Days of Christmas." She and the hero are part of a group who is filming a documentary titled, Twelve Dogs of Christmas.

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a little doggie on a settee.

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, two pounds of Master’s.

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three doggie sweaters.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, four bowls of kibble.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, five rawhide bones.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, six toys a squeaking.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, seven leashes straining.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eight balls a bouncing

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, nine sticks for throwing.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, ten combs for grooming.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eleven clippers snipping.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, twelve collars jingling.

Be sure to look for this book, available on the Twelfth Day of Christmas, January 5, 2022.

Also you can get this Christmas novella now for 99 cents. 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2B9RxRL

Apple: https://apple.co/2ZGgi9F

B&N: https://bit.ly/3jUha1J

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3nLbyIn

 

Christmas carols are a big part of the Christmas celebration and part of my upcoming book. What is your favorite Christmas carol? 

Merrillee Whren is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart Award presented by Romance Writers of American. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of forty-plus years, and has two grown daughters. Connect with her on her Facebook page and sign up for her newsletter.

 

It's All About Me ~ Introducing Jean C. Gordon

Jean C. Gordon here happy to introduce/reintroduce myself to all our new and long-time readers.

The Official Bio

For Amazon Bestselling inspirational and sweet romance author Jean C. Gordon, writing is a natural extension of her love of reading. From that day in first grade when she realized t-h-e was the word “the,” she’s been reading everything she can put her hands on. She and her college-sweetheart husband tried the city life in Los Angeles, but quickly returned home to their native small-town Upstate New York, where she sets her books.

They share a 175-year-old farmhouse on 12 acres just south of Albany with their daughter and son-in-law, two grandchildren, and a menagerie of pets. Their son lives nearby. While Jean creates stories, her family grows organic fruits and vegetables and tends the livestock de jour.

A founding member of the Capital Region Romance Writers (Albany, NY), Jean currently serves as membership chair. She’s also a member of the Romance Writers of America and its Faith, Hope and Love Chapter, the American Christian Fiction Writers, and Novelists, Inc.

Jean is currently working on a new series for Harlequin Love Inspired and looking forward to the release of her first single title romance, Mending the Motocross Champion, in October.

Five Miscellaneous Facts

I love roller coasters.
I was once the runner-up Wyoming County (NY) Maple Syrup Princess.
I am not afraid of spiders or snakes.
Growing up, my family always called me by my full name Jean Marie
I chose a star sapphire for my engagement ring.

What You Really Want To Know About

Our menagerie of pets.
 

Our Xena, a lab-boxer mix. Our daughter's Cat One and Cat Two, who moved themselves over to our side of the house because her family has too many dogs, and Jester who recently came to live with us because our son couldn't keep him at his new apartment.

Our daughter's family's dogs, Mr. Buttons, another lab-boxer mix, Appa, a terrier mix, and Zori, who's anyone's guess. Appa and Zori came from Guam with the family after my daughter worked as a midwife there in a women's clinic for a year.

My Current Release

TEAM MACACHEK STARTS HERE: Meet the strong women and fearless men of the motocross circuit.

Physical therapist Dana VanAlstyne’s dreams of a family were lost in the dust of a motocross racecourse. Although she’s filled her life with her work and church activities, it hasn’t filled the empty space inside her. Nor has it eased the heartache of being abandoned by a man who wasn’t ready for a wife and children. Now her dream is to open her own private practice. All she needs is the capital to make that happen.

Anton, “Mac,” Macachek may be the top professional motocross racer in the country but he still has one race that matters more to him: winning a championship at Unadilla Raceway and showing the hometown folks the bad boy did amount to something. But when a horrific accident sidelines those plans, he makes a deal with the woman he once loved with all his heart. A woman who abandoned him. If Dana will get him back in racing shape, he’ll fund her new practice. Then an even more dangerous risk is revealed. If Mac races again, he could die.

Does Dana have enough faith to risk her heart again? She loved Mac once, but feared he loved motocross racing more than he loved her. If she helps him mend his broken body, will it also mend her broken heart? Or will it all be lost again in the dust and danger of a motocross racetrack?

Amazon Print and Kindle ~ Kindle Unlimited through April 13.
Barnes and Noble Print ~ Nook, iBooks, and Kobo Coming Soon

Where To Find Me

My Website 

Facebook JeanCGordon.author
Twitter @JeanCGordon
Sign up for my Readers Newsletter
 

Now, if you've gotten this far, want to share a little something about yourself?

Labor Day weekend...deadlines and crazy pets! Roxanne Rustand

The weather this Labor Day weekend couldn't be more beautiful here in the Midwest. Bright sunshine, fluffy clouds, low humidity and seventy degrees. What could be more wonderful for family gatherings and time spent relaxing? I look out the windows and want to saddle up one of the horses, but alas, I'm here in my office. And what a mess it is.

I finished a deadline book yesterday. A number of unexpected trips this year, some family health issues and various other things conspired to slow down my progress on the manuscript during the previous months. So though I'd planned on finishing very early, that didn't quite happen--much to my regret.  Do you ever find yourself getting behind on things?

This morning I've come  downstairs to my office to assess the wreckage and start shoveling up the debris after being so focused, because another project awaits. Good heavens. I'm glad none of you are here to see this! Thus far I've found... FIVE pairs of shoes under my desk. Four soda cans. A Yeti tumbler. Contigo coffee mug. A bag of Ghiaradelli chocolate chips (oops!) A banana. Reams of paper...and piles of printouts of various versions of chapters, the charts I fill out to make sure plot points occur, subplot characters don't wander out of the story and disappear, and a logical sequence of events prevail.


As you can see, my computer screen is plastered with  Post-It notes, because alas--I can find a Post it in neon orange, but can't always find my brain.

And then, there are all of the research tools.  So much can be researched on the Internet at the touch of a button--say, a step in how to refinish a hardwood floor,  when vaccinations are due for puppies, or when a child can move from a regular car seat to a booster seat in Wisconsin (that, I got from our daughter-in-law, bless her heart.) But magazines and books help.

You may laugh, but I promise you--if some research detail is wrong,  readers will notice and not be happy! So research matters. But the danger in doing  research is that it can be way too much fun.
Case in point: this stack of magazines on my floor, gathered for veterinary research details for the book I just finished (Love Inspired, out July 2017.)   They are way too interesting to an animal lover like me.

Though this particular article has nothing to do with my current manuscript, my favorite issue each year includes the "X-Ray Contest Winners."  Vets send in x-rays of the most bizarre items they've discovered when diagnosing  a pet who is not eating or is otherwise under the weather, and it's just amazing to see what a dog will merrily wolf down and survive--at least, after surgery. A whole corn cob WITH the little skewers on the ends, for instance. A needle and thread.  A cheese knife. Why?!! 

This year, one of the finalists was  a dog that had swallowed seventy-five plastic coffee creamer cups. Another swallowed twenty-three pacifers (gathered from neighbors--the owners had no children) and a peach pit.
Yet another dog swallowed a hundred-fifty small landscaping stones. And, one enjoyed eating two rubber duckies.

So...do you have pets, and have they ever done something totally bizarre?  Please share!  Ah...the tales I would love to share from our house.....but maybe another time.  :)

Best wishes to you all for a wonderful holiday weekend!

The Single Dad's Redemption
Love Inspired   July 2016

USA Today Bestselling Author

The Single Dad's Redemption, Love Inspired 7/2016

An Aspen Creek Christmas, Love Inspired 11/16

A London Christmas (Sweet Christmas Kisses Anthology 2016)

An Irish Christmas Blessing (Sweet Christmas Kisses Anthology 2015)

A Scottish Christmas (Sweet Christmas Kisses Anthology 2014)

www.roxannerustand.com 

www.facebook.com/Roxanne.Rustand 

https://www.pinterest.com/roxannerustand

Pets: the Ultimate Inspiration- by Karen Rock

Pets: the Ultimate Inspiration- by Karen Rock

As some of you may already know, I'm a huge animal lover. I'll do anything to help animals, from aiding the ASPCA down to snatching a squawking blue jay from the mouth of a large Tom. (True story and the bird lived :) I'm especially attached to my pets, Angel, a fifteen-year-old Birman with only four teeth, Lizzie, a thirteen-year-old Cavalier King spaniel who is blind, deaf and diabetic, and our newest addition, Zoey, a passionate nine-month-old with a nervous bladder.

My husband, Greg, daughter, Danielle, and I consider our pets as a part of our family. I'll always say, "Zoey, go give your sissy a kiss" or "Angel, it's not nice to bite your daddy." (Those four teeth are sharp!) Lizzie hasn't been getting up and around much lately except for her meals, which I sometimes bring to her. Our veterinarian assured us she isn't suffering from anything that causes her pain and if she can get around using her sense of smell, then she's fine. Phew! When we had her diabetes diagnosis the doctor told us to expect her to pass away last year, so every day more I have with her I treat like the gift that it is.

Yesterday, we made our annual trip to Rulf's apple orchard's pumpkin patch. It's always so much fun to choose from the rainbow of mums, get our donuts and cider, select different canned jellies (this year we went with Red Jalapeño, Black Raspberry and Apple Cider), purchase a peck of Macintosh apples and refuel our local tapped maple syrup supply. Best of all, we knew we'd get to do something we haven't done in a while since losing my other dog, Little Bit last summer and Lizzie's decline in health: take a pet with us for the wagon ride into the pumpkin patch. It's the highlight of the fall to see dogs bounding through the tangled vines, frisking with other dogs, and getting excited over just about everything.

So, what a complete shock when Lizzie didn't return to her bed after eating and started barking at the garage door as we donned our shoes to head out. She rarely wants to leave the house, so why the ruckus? After some debate, (could a blind and deaf dog navigate being on a wagon ride and maneuver through a pumpkin patch?) we decided to take her with a "Handle with Care" policy. As it turned out, Lizzie didn't need us to hover over her. She must have remembered the smells of Rulf's from previous years because as soon as we got out of the car, she made a beeline for the spot where they give out free popcorn (her favorite snack) and actually tried to climb up the stairs into the wagon on her own! She was so happy to stand in the center of the wagon, the air whipping over her ears, then trot through the farm fields, sniffing everything!

It was a beautiful day and another precious gift to have spent it with her. Her indelible spirit to enjoy every bit of her life, no matter the adversity she faces, is a true inspiration and a reminder to always think positively and embrace the good parts of our lives. By doing that, we can overcome anything.

How have your pets made your life more positive? In what ways have they inspired you? Please share your thoughts below; you know how much I'd love to hear them :) Oh- and in Lizzie's honor, I'm giving away an autographed copy of my multi-award-winning Harlequin Heartwarming novel, WISH ME TOMORROW, which features an adorable diabetic Cavalier King spaniel, Sweet Pea. Please include your email address with your comment if you wish to enter the contest. I'll announce the winner here, tonight, at 10 pm EST.

Thanks!

Who Knew Writer’s Block Could be this Cute? By Karen Rock

Writers face many challenges. Ideas don’t rain from the sky. Good prose doesn’t gush like a spigot. We can’t just turn it on and off. Promotional work isn’t done for us by elves as we sleep. It’s easy to focus on the glamorous side. The pretty book covers. Fan meet and greets. A nice review on a favorite blog… but the truth is that it’s like any job with one exception. No accountant walks into his boss’ office to ask if he/she can stop working because he’s blocked. A doctor can’t halt mid-surgery, lay down his scalpel and claim he’s no longer inspired. A firefighter wouldn’t turn the hose off a burning house because he’s out of fresh ideas.

Only creative jobs risk the dreaded block and while that’s not often a problem for me (I subscribe to the keep writing, even if it’s junk, until it starts making sense- philosophy) that’s all changed recently. Writer’s block, your name is Zoey.

Last fall I lost my beloved dog, Little Bit. We’d gotten her as a rescue eleven years ago when she was two and I loved her so much that even towards the end, I did everything I could to keep her with me. When she lost her hearing, we developed some kind of sign language that worked. When she no longer climbed the stairs, I carried her. When she started soiling herself in her sleep, I jumped in the garden tub with her and scrubbed her before I washed myself. I told myself as long as her helicopter tail kept going, I would too… until it stopped. And when she passed, I felt like she took a part of me with her. Still don’t have it back. Wouldn’t want it. It belongs with her until the rest of me joins her. Hardest of all, I lost her while writing my current release which features a heroine determined to raise and bond with an orphaned bear. It turned out to be cathartic, though, as I poured a lot of my own remembered joy and current despair into those pages.

Since then, I’ve written a novella for a holiday anthology that was so light-hearted I could escape the sadness I still felt about Little Bit. A new contract came in after the holidays and with it new deadlines. I told myself it was long overdue to get over my slump. I researched my new book, revised my first three chapters and began the mental negotiations I go through when I decide how much of my synopsis I’m actually going to use (I hope my editor isn’t reading this! Lol)

Then. A speed bump. Greg surprised me with a nine-week-old puppy we renamed Zoey. As soon as I saw her fluffy, adorable little body and cute face, it was love at first sight. However, since I hadn’t raised a puppy in years (my other dog, Lizzie is thirteen) I forgot how much time and energy a young creature needs. She was far from her Amish farm. Unused to the electric sounds of the modern world. Scared, a little clingy, needed attention- lots of it. She wanted to be snuggled, played with, let outside, fed, played with some more… and more… So much so that I got exhausted fast. I even caught a cold and pink eye. Every bit of me, including my creative energy was consumed. On the few occasions I got to my lap top, I destroyed perfectly acceptable wording because nothing new came. I felt like a failure. But then Zoey would lick my face and I’d shut my computer down and go back to being a pet mom… maybe I was better at that then being a writer?

Three weeks later, I’m still getting up with her at five a.m. By eight a.m., I’ve taken her for a walk, jogged around my property with her twice, played tug of war and fetch for hours, fed her and so on. Operation: Exhaust Puppy… and it’s working. She’s now napping from eight to ten. Wakes and plays on her own until twelve. I have lunch and play with her until around 1:30. She sleeps again while I write until four or five and huzzah- I have a routine again which taught me something I didn’t know about myself.

Having a set routine is very important to me when it comes to avoiding writer’s block. I think my brain subconsciously prepares ideas for me when it has advanced warnings that I’ll be writing at a certain time. Like Zoey, it has a routine. Follows it.  My best advice to get around writer’s block, besides not getting a puppy, (lol) is to plan your writing time and stick to it no matter what. Your creative mind will count on being called on and you’ll count on it answering… and it will… eventually J

***

 



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Dogs or Cats?

I've always had pets for as long as I can remember. When I was a child we had dogs, cats, chickens, and ponies. Animals were an integral part of my life and I couldn't image not having dogs and cats around the house.

Since I've been married we've always had cats and dogs along with gerbils, rabbits, hamsters, and guinea pigs for the kids. (Which I ended up caring for, of course!)

Stroking an animal, especially a much loved dog or cat, is a peaceful and relaxing experience. During stressful and upsetting periods in my life, having a furry friend to hug has made all the difference. I fully understand how therapy dogs are so effective in helping people recover.

When I was a teen, I had a black furry rescue dog called Brandy, and I was convinced I was a "dog" person. Later in life I had a cat that chose me when I went to view the litter. I'd gone there intending to have a boy and this little female kitten came to me and curled up in my hand. She stayed with me the whole time I was there and a few weeks later I went back and brought her home. She is now nearly eighteen and still a happy calming presence, and still healthy, thank goodness.

I also have a Westie cross who is my baby. (Empty nest syndrome, I think!) I'm afraid my husband and I are very soft with her and she even sleeps in bed with us at night.

Now I know I'm a dog AND cat person, although I know many people have a preference. (My daughter is definitely a cat person!)

I guess we all have our ideal pet. My brother-in-law loves lizards and snakes. Those aren't for me, I'm afraid!

Do you have pets?

Helen lives in South West England near Plymouth in Devon between the windswept expanse of Dartmoor and the rocky Atlantic coast. As well as her wonderful, long-suffering husband, she shares her home with a Westie and a burmilla cat. Helen has one of her Army Doctor stories in the Hearts & Kisses boxed set. (This set includes both sweet and steamy books.) Find Helen on FaceBook and Twitter, or visit her website.

Crazy About Dogs by Raine English

I come from a family of dog lovers. Maybe that’s why dogs are such a huge part of my life. And like people, they all have their own distinct personalities. When I was a kid, our family dog was a standard poodle. Coco had champion bloodlines, and he seemed to know it too, because, boy, did that dog have an attitude.

And also like people, there are some dogs that you just have an extra special connection with. I had that with Chance, a pit bull mix. She came to me one snowy Christmas morning when I was out at my car getting a gift I’d hidden there from my daughter. I couldn’t believe this adorable black-and-white puppy was bounding down my driveway. It turned out one of my neighbors had found her abandoned at the side of the highway, but she was too much of a handful for them to keep. They were planning to take her to the local animal shelter after the holiday, but she ran away—and into my life—when they let her out to do her business. Needless to say, they were more than thrilled when I offered to keep her. She wound up being the most gentle and loving dog I ever had. Chance was with me for seventeen wonderful years, and when she died, I thought for sure I’d never love another dog as much as I had her. But then Bailey came into my life.

Bailey is a French bulldog, and he has the complete opposite of Chance’s friendly, fun-loving personality. While at times he can be quite the clown, Bailey has a tendency to be stubborn and grumpy. However, we have a very special bond, and despite his sometimes craggy personality, I love him as much as I loved Chance. And if it wasn’t for his bugging me to take him for a walk, I’d probably be overweight and out of shape, since I stay glued to my computer screen for much of the day.

Each dog has brought me so much joy, in his or her own unique way, that I couldn’t imagine not having one—or more.

Most of my books have a dog in them. It’s my way of saying thank you to the furry friends that have given me so much.

If you’re as crazy about dogs as I am, what is it you love most about them?

Raine English writes small-town sweet contemporary romances. Vistit her website, www.RaineEnglish.com, for updates on her books.

Furry Babies

Since I was a child, I've always had pets. When I was young, the house was full of dogs and cats. There were horses in the fields and chickens pecking around the yard. My mother wouldn't tolerate any small furry creatures in the house so I had to wait until I had kids of my own before we enjoyed the usual succession of gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits and rats.

For me a home isn't complete without furry friends. There is something innocent and trusting about animals that helps ground me when life gets hectic. Animals remind me what's really important.

I've loved all our pets, even the poor budgerigar that only survived for a few weeks before the cat managed to eat her. But dogs and cats are my favorites. I'm one of those soppy people who consider my dogs and cats as my babies.

My husband and I take our dear little Westie everywhere. She sleeps with us in bed at night and is rarely out of our company. When I'm apart from her I'm the one who gets separation anxiety! I keep wondering how she is. If we go on a foreign vacation, after a few days I want to go home because I miss her.

It's been medically proven that stroking dogs and cats can lower people's blood pressure and ease stress. My prescription to help cope with this modern chaotic life we lead is to pet a dog. Much better for you than medication!

The only downside of loving a pet so much is the inevitable heartbreak when they pass away. My dear little Shih Tzu, Lily, who I was lucky enough to share my life with for fifteen years, passed away recently. I still expect to see her and miss her terribly. I'd have been lost without my young dog to help me cope.

In my latest book, a dear old family pet provides support and love for the heroine when nobody else can. Do you have pets? Have they ever helped you through a difficult time in your life?

Helen lives in South West England near Plymouth in Devon between the windswept expanse of Dartmoor and the rocky Atlantic coast. As well as her wonderful, long-suffering husband, she shares her home with a Westie and a burmilla cat. Helen's latest book is the sixth in her Army Doctor's series,The Army Doctor's Forever Baby. Find Helen on FaceBook and Twitter, or visit her website.